Notable and famous alumni

A legacy of recognized success, a record of transformative achievement

ASU has inspired a half-million master learners, alumni who thrive in nearly every country in the world. ASU graduates have generated headlines and helped solve society’s great challenges, in disciplines from the sciences to the arts, from sustainability to entrepreneurship and every category in between.

The alumni list is populated by international government leaders; U.S. governors, congressmen and senators; founders of companies; military-service pioneers; researchers in medicine, technology and sustainability; groundbreaking entrepreneurs, pioneering educators; entertainers and more.

Mary Lou Fulton

’74 BA in education

Fulton was an educator and philanthropist. She is the namesake of ASU's Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation and the Mary Lou Fulton Chair at BYU’s College of Family, Home and Social Sciences.

Mary Temple Grandin

’75 MS in animal science

Grandin is a global autism advocate, a renowned animal behavior expert, and an award-winning author. One of TIME 100’s Most Influential People, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Gregory Haile

’99 BS in justice studies

Haile is chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, CEO of Upwardly Global and a fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School. He served as the 7th president of Broward College and was editor-in-chief of the National Black Law Journal.

Derrick Hall

’91 BA in broadcasting

Hall is president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks and a leader in sports philanthropy. He is in the Arizona Sports and Cronkite School Alumni Halls of Fame, and received Alumni Achievement and Pitchfork Legacy awards from ASU.

Jan Henne-Hawkins

’72 BAE in physical education

Henne-Hawkins, a former Arizona State University swimmer, is a four-time Olympic medalist (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and an eight-time U.S. record-holder in swimming. She is a member of the International Swimming and Sun Devil Halls of Fame.

Larry Lee “Zeke” Jones Jr

’90 BS in finance

Jones is a former Sun Devil wrestler and head coach. He is an Olympic silver medalist and World Champion, a three-time All-American, a six-time U.S. Open champion and is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Vada Manager

’83 BS in political science

Manager, founder and CEO of Manager Global Consulting Group, is a former Nike senior director of global issues who serves on the ASU Board of Trustees. He has advised Major League Baseball, the PGA TOUR and Nelson Mandela and is in the CLAS Hall of Fame.

Aaron Matos

’95 BS in management

Matos is the founder and CEO of jobing.com and the founder of recruiting.com and Paradox, a major AI recruiting company where he serves as chairman. An expert in talent acquisition technology, he has built multiple high-growth companies serving millions of job seekers.

Ruth McGregor

’74 JD in law

McGregor is a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for the Future of Arizona and a former chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. She was recognized by the Alumni Association in 1998.

Al Michaels

’66 BA in broadcasting

Michaels is a sportscaster and five-time Emmy Award winner who has also been named National Sportscaster of the Year five times. He is a member of the TV Academy Hall of Fame and received the Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from ASU.

Phil Mickelson

’92 BA in psychology

Mickelson is a professional golfer who has won five major PGA championships, including three Masters titles. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and was a four-time All-American golfer at ASU.

Harriet Nembhard

’90 BS in industrial engineering

Nembhard is the dean of the University of Iowa College of Engineering and a fellow of both the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the American Society for Quality. She was awarded the Clinical and Translational Science Award for her work on the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.